Nightmare
by Boulder the Dragon
Summary: His drive is foolish love. His risk is eternal damnation. Flippy soon realizes that the ties between life and death are more physical than he thought... Now a one-shot.


**Well, I'm finally back.**

**Whether you cheered or boo'ed doesn't matter to me.**

**Anyway, I'm here to announce that for now, all of my other stories are on a temporary hiatus. Sorry 'bout that, but that's just the way the cookies crumbles. I wanna spend time writing this one, since it's been so long since I've written anything.**

**This'll be a short story, and I plan to have only 12 chapters. But each chappie will be fairly long to make up for that. Each chapter will also contain snipits of an Avenged Sevenfold song, but don't worry, they're few and far between.**

**If you hate FlippyxFlaky or find implied suicide very offensive, read on with caution. Future chapters will likely change the rating, so I'll warn ya if it does. This would technically be my first romance like story, as evidenced by the mushy intro paragraphs. But trust me, future chapters will contain a little of everything and be more... actiony, or whatever.**

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_You should've known_

_The price of evil_

_And it hurts to know that you belong here_

_It's your f**kin' nightmare_

_o O o O o O o O o O o O o O o_

8:30pm.

That was all I could think about. That time, today, tonight. No matter what happened, my thoughts would always center around that time. I had to admit, I wasn't too sure why though. I did the same thing every day, at the same time. I'd visit her house.

Flaky's house. My girlfriend of a full year. Every day I would long for the night to come, when she'd return from work, so I could enter her home and be with her. Just the thought of her face, her body, her scent... rather, just her in general, was enough to send my heart into a frantic beat of nervousness. I've been with her for so many years that it surprised me that I still grew anxious when I saw her. She meant the world to me. And she was the only thing that kept me from the brink of insanity every single day I live.

That damn war. All those damn years ago, is that very reason I live in fear all the time. The things that happened there on the battlefield... it stuck to me. It damaged me. So much so that I'd wish for death when those memories assaulted my mind.

My doctors and therapists had told me of my problems. I first heard of the term from Dr. Sherald: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. PTSD. I didn't think much of it, until I went home and did my own research. That's when I realized that PTSD was the ailment that burned suicidal thoughts into my brain, like sizzling iron. The reason every person I came in contact with fears me. My psychotic other half, who took over my thoughts and actions whenever I'm reminded of that terrible battlefield and war.

Some people refer to me by my name, Flippy. Others, prefer to call me by different names... such as Evil, Devil, and Satan himself. I'm not quite sure how many times I've been sent to jail for things I've done. When provoked, I became an unstoppable killing machine, and because of this, police have frequently arrested me. I've slain so many people... and I have so much blood on my hands. The only reason they'd ever let a monster like me roam the streets of a suburban city was due to my condition being labeled as a disability. By the laws of Treemorton - the town in which me and my friends live - a person with any disabilities can't be kept in jail due to his uncontrollable problems. Their philosophy is that it isn't the disabled's fault that they have the issues that they have.

But boy, did they wish they could keep me in prison. I don't blame them... I'm practically considered a hazard around here. When I'm seen roaming the streets, people duck and hide. When I leave my house for any reason, people cower in their homes. I was about to really kill myself, and end this misery for both me and the town I endangered. I wanted to stop taking all the pills I took, and stop having so many therapist visits.

But then, Flaky entered my life.

I'm not so sure how it happened. But for some reason, when I met the innocent and shy porcupine, she quickly returned the feelings I developed for her. She didn't see me as a monster, but as a person who needed a shoulder to cry on. She knew of my ailments, yet she didn't fear me. Even with her extreme paranoia, she wasn't afraid of me. Even after all the times I'd freaked out and attacked her, she stood her ground and brought me to help soon after.

And when we started dating, it was like I had a whole new reason to live. She kept me alive, in more ways then one. And I would never think of letting her go, as I knew she wouldn't let me go either.

As I sat in my lonely room, with the window closed shut and the doors locked, I couldn't help but think of that time, when she'd return home and I'd get the chance to hold her. I'm sure that she's not treated fairly well, what with her dating an alleged psycho. So as if to pile on to the stack of issues with my life, guilt was now banging on my head like a jackhammer with no off button. I suppose I'm just not allowed to be satisfied, huh?

I was sitting quietly on my bed, with a journal on my lap and a pencil in my hand. I've taken into the habit of writing down the events of the day before I left for Flaky's home, and I'd write down what happened that night the following morning. My hands scribbled on the page at a mechanical pace, my eyes never leaving the once blank page in front of me.

_Today went by without a hitch... which was actually what made this day so strange,_ I wrote._ I ran into some woman at the diner today. She was rather nice. Her name was Heather. Apparently she just moved into this town last week, and she hadn't heard of me. It was nice to have a normal conversation with someone other than Flaky. She told me she had a husband. Someone named Bill, I think. And when I told her about my relationship with Flaky she seemed to burst into life, asking me how long we've been dating and if I planned to propose. I told her the truth, which was that I wasn't sure. After all, it's been about a year. I couldn't possibly propose to her after that short period of time... could I?_

I turned the pencil over and started chewing on the eraser. After a few seconds, I wrote on. _Either way, breakfast was nice. On my way home I ran into that eccentric rabbit again... Cuddles, I think it was. He almost ran me over with his skateboard, the little bastard. Still, at least he didn't cower in fear like others in this town. After he apologized, he headed home like I did. And ultimately, I stayed here and watched some TV. Afterwards I continued reading that novel I bought last week. It's called Bloody Vengeance, and it's pretty good. Something about a killer and a group of unsuspecting civilians._

I stopped writing and glanced up at the clock. 8:23.

I closed my journal and got up from my bed. Flaky would be home soon, and I wanted to be with her. I headed to my closet, grabbing a cameo jacket and jeans. Once I got dressed, I slipped on my shoes and tied a belt around my waist. I donned both my favorite beret and a pair of sunglasses. It wasn't too bright out, but I didn't really care.

Now dressed in my classic war-inspired outfit, I grabbed my car keys and headed out the front door, making sure to arm my security system. I quickly hopped into my beat up old truck and drove away from home.

The road was quiet, and the streets were no different. A sweet surprise, really. For a small town, the traffic jams got very bad and crowded from time to time. I drove lazily and carefully, checking the roads, sidewalks, and buildings as I sped by. Like I said, it wasn't very bright out. But it wasn't dark either, since right about now is when the sun would set over the horizon. I found it symbolic, how the most beautiful shade of orange would be set in the sky every night as I drove to her house.

My thoughts were quickly shattered as a street light flashed on directly ahead of me. My head suddenly spiked, and I slammed my foot on the brake. My truck skidded to a halt, and had I not of been wearing my seat belt I would've soared out of the vehicle. A massive pain throbbed in my head, and I clutched it with my hands. I was about to fall out of my seat, and I screamed as the pain grew worse. My thoughts were clouded with visions of flash grenades, bombs, and anything that would flash on the battlefield.

_Can't wake up in sweat_

_'Cause it ain't over yet_

_Still dancing with your demons_

_Victim of your own creation_

I seized hold of the steering wheel and grinded my teeth, trying to get a hold of myself. I couldn't go insane like this, not right now. My eyes began to burn, so I shut them and continued to groan and clench my teeth. After an agonizing minute of torment, I managed to control my mind. I quickly tossed out any thoughts of war and death, immediatly opening my eyes and easing my grip on the wheel. The pain was subsiding, and I gasped for air. Before long, it was over.

I released the steering wheel and collapsed back against the seat, panting and gasping for breath. I wiped the sweat off of my forehead and reached into my pocket, checking my cell phone. It was 8:32, and Flaky would be home by now.

I took off my sunglasses and placed them in the glove box. By now I was back to normal, and my head was free of the throbbing pain. I sighed and took my foot off of the brake. After a few seconds of mental preparation, and hit the accelerator and continued on my way.

By 8:40 I was driving by her house. I parked in her driveway and turned the truck off, adjusting my offset beret. I hopped out of the vehicle and strolled up the walkway that lead to her front door, all the while trying to will my heart to stop beating so furiously. Once I stepped up the few stairs that lead to the door, I inhaled a deep breath and raised my fist. After a moment, I knocked quietly, making sure I didn't scare her.

For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then, I heard the soft sound of footsteps on the inside, getting louder with each step. I stepped back and gave the door proper room to swing open. When it did, I saw her standing there, taking her hand off the knob and giving me a warm smile.

She was beautiful, as always. She was already in her sleep wear, which consisted of a long and lacy gown that reached to her knees. Her hair was down, and she was wearing light colored socks. Her luminescent amber eyes looked into mine, and I stepped closer to her and placed a hand on her cheek. My lips met with hers, and we held a kiss for a few seconds. When we pulled away, I felt her warm breath on my face, and I could do nothing but smile to her.

"Good evening, lovely," I greeted playfully. She chuckled and stepped out of the way to allow me in. I walked in and heard her close the door behind me.

I felt her arms wrap around me from behind and her head lean on my shoulder. "So how was your day?" she asked.

I placed my hands over hers and turned my head to look at her. "Fine, no real complaints," I answered with a smile. I didn't want to mention the incident on the road. The last thing I wanted was to worry her in any way. "How was work?"

She sighed. "Fine I guess. Dull, like always."

"Right, right."

"It's great to have you here," she commented, giving me a light kiss on the neck.

I sighed against the feel of her lips, before gently releasing her hands and heading into the kitchen. "Want me to make you some coffee?"

"Sure," she answered, "I'll pick us out a movie to watch." She walked into the living room and began fumbling through DVD cases.

I shook my jacket off and threw it on the kitchen table. My beret soon joined it, followed by the dog tags I wore around my neck. Now in my black undershirt and jeans, I started making the coffee. When the preparation were complete, I made my way into the living room to wait for it to finish brewing.

Flaky was still searching for a movie. She was kneeling down and looking through the different DVD's, muttering "no's" every now and then. I kneeled beside her with a smirk on my face. "Having some problems here?"

She chuckled and turned to me. "Well, I'm trying to see which movie would be... y'know..." she paused for a second, obviously thinking of what to say. "...safe."

I knew what she meant by that. Even so, I felt my heart sink a little at those words. So many movies are full of content that would drive me insane. Explosions, gun fights, battle sequences... the list is endless. Despite how used to this sort of thing I was, I couldn't help but feel hurt. Still, I hid my inner struggle and smiled to her, before helping her pick out a movie with little to no violence. It really wasn't easy.

Before long, we settled on a cheap romance movie. While watching it, we kept ourselves entertained by joking on how cliche and awful the film was. She kept her head lightly on my shoulder, and my arm was wrapped around her thin body, my hand resting on her lap. And for a few hours, we sat there watching cheap movies and enjoying each others company.

o O o O o O o O o O o O o O o

It was late, and me and Flaky were resting in her bed. I sat upright, allowing her to rest her head on my lap. Her body rose and fell delicately with each breath she took. She looked so vulnerable when she was asleep... which is why I knew I shouldn't be the one to lay next to her every night. She needed someone safe to hold her, someone with a clear mind.

But regardless of what I knew she deserved, there was no way anything was about to take her away from me. And there was no way that I would voluntarily let her go.

I realized my throat was dry, and gently moved Flaky's head from my lap, placing it atop a soft pillow. She shifted slightly at the movement, but stayed fast asleep. I smiled and leaned in to kiss her on the cheek, before getting up and leaving the room. The house was dark since all the lights were off, so I had to be careful of where I went. I was worried I may wake her up... and that I'd accidentally break my neck by tripping over a stupid kitchen chair. Once my eyes adjusted to the dark, I could make out the refrigerator. I opened it and allowed the light inside to illuminate my surroundings for me. I grabbed a cup, took some milk out of the fridge, and began pouring it into said cup.

That's when I made the dumbest mistake of my life. My hand seemed to slip away from the cup, and it plummeted to the ground. It shattered into hundreds of tiny shards, flying in every direction possible. Immediatly I felt a twinge of pain in my head, before the throbbing and aching returned in full force. I fell to my knees, the ringing in my head growing louder every second. My eyes burned, and my teeth were shaking and hurting. I muffled a scream the best I could.

Bombs, bullets, and limbs seemed to fly around me, and I felt my headache worsen to shocking pain. Before I even had a chance to scream again, everything around me changed. The black of the night turned into a sickening red hue, and the walls around seemed to melt away. At the same time, the throbbing went away, and my emotions suddenly turned cold.

I wasn't myself anymore. I felt angry, I felt frustrated, and I felt a bloodlust. I clenched my fists as my teeth glowed in a psychotic grin. I chuckled for some reason... and before long I was laughing. But there was nothing funny about what was going on... God, what's wrong with me?

Nothing was wrong with me. I just needed to feel blood on my hands... but, how could I do that? I'm not a killer... but I am.

I am. A murderer. A monster. I am.

I didn't even remember where I was. A kitchen, it looked like. Was it my house? No, I think I left my house... but why? It didn't matter to me. All that mattered was that I wasn't home, and I wanted to know where I was. Instinctively, I seized a large and rusty knife from the sink next to me. I clenched it in my fist, looking around and trying to get used to my new surroundings. None of this was familiar... so maybe I've become the victim of a kidnaping.

It was the only logical thing I could think of. Hmph, what kind of dumbass would be stupid enough to kidnap me? I was laughing just thinking about. Still, it could be a potentially dangerous person, or maybe even murderer much like myself. If the latter was true, then this was gonna be fun.

I made my way to the wooden table in the middle of the kitchen. On it, I saw a green beret and a cameo jacket, as well as dog tags. I grabbed the beret and donned it, doing the same the jacket and tags. Waste not, want not, I always say. If these items were important to anyone, they wouldn't of left them on the table. And I'd like to see anyone try to take these from me.

Still holding the butcher knife and now wearing a stolen hat and jacket, I glanced around in all directions, making sure I was alone. So far, I saw no one. This would be one of those moments where I'd say, "it's quiet... too quiet," but I wasn't stupid enough to say it. So I kept my moth shut and crouched down to the floor. Booby traps weren't about to claim my head. At least no today, anyway. I carefully moved myself from the kitchen to what seemed to be a hallway. There were pictures hanging on the walls and paint was peeling and dry in the corners. Other than that, it seemed like a fairly simple home. I gotta say, whoever attempted to slaughter me was good at making my surroundings look very average and plain.

But looks are deceiving, so I continued forward with caution. At the end of the hall, I saw a door left slightly open and a light was on in the room. I smiled devilishly to myself. Looks like I was about to claim the head of my captor.

I clung to the walls and slid over to the door. Carefully, I placed my hand on the rusty knob and pushed it open. I was slightly blinded by the sudden light, but quickly adjusted to it. Inside was what appeared to be an average room, with a computer desk along the left half of the room and a dresser next to it. More pictures were on the walls and there was a bed on the right side... and on said bed I saw the figure of a person.

But it wasn't a burly man with a shotgun. It was a female. She looked to be a red porcupine, wearing a long sleeve lavender shirt. Her legs were bare, so I assumed she wasn't wearing any pants. Despite this intriguing fact, I kept my goal in sight.

She was sleeping, and I quickly and quietly rushed to the side of the bed. I had to admit, she was hot. My only guess was that this was the wife of my captor... which meant this could be a great opportunity for some answers. I snuck onto the bed and readied my knife.

Her eyes fluttered open slowly, and I saw luminescent amber eyes pupils stare back at me. A look of fear spread across her face as she laid her eyes on MY pupils. She screamed, and immediatly tried to flee. I seized hold of her neck and shoved back onto the bed, facing up towards me. She was screaming again, and her eyes were shut. "Flippy, stop!" she yelled.

I was taken aback by this. Apparently she knew more about me then I thought. "Who are you, and how do you know my name? Answer me!" I shouted at her, keeping my knife carefully along her jugular.

She opened her eyes and looked at me. "Flippy, wake up! I-it's me... Flaky! Don't you remember? Snap out of it!"

What the hell was she talking about? Seriously, was this some stupid interrogation technique?

I clenched my hand around her neck, and she rewarded me with a delicious gasping sound. Although my hormones were raging, I had to keep this bitch aware that I was not to be trifled with.

"Flippy, please," she pleaded with me, "I know you're in there... snap out of it..."

Her voice sounded so familiar. And before I could think of much else, my head began to throb. Suddenly, the pain spiked, and I grabbed my head and screeched in sheer torment. The porcupine's face was in my head, and I couldn't get rid of it. Thoughts of me with her, and watching movies... my eyes were practically sizzling.

I felt her sit up and wrap her arms around me. If I didn't know any better, I'd say she was comforting me. I groaned and reached behind her to pick up the knife I dropped.

"Flippy," she whispered softly, "please just relax. Remember who you are..."

The pain came back full force, and my ears were ringing. I wasn't gonna take this crap anymore.

I raised the knife and stabbed her in the back. Her arms around me tightened, and I heard her gasp in agony. Warm blood was trickling down my hands, and my mind was feeling completely blank. She was groaning and squirming, her body shaking in both pain and fear. But she never released her grip on me.

And I knew she wouldn't let go... because she needed to keep me here until my captor arrived... no, it's because she loves me. I knew she did...

The walls that melted were coming back into place, and the red hues were fading away. The headache was gone, and my eyes were back to normal. But for some reason, I wasn't in the kitchen anymore...

I put my hand to my forehead, knocking off my beret... but wait, I took my beret off and placed it on the table earlier... and I was wearing my jacket for some reason... I felt arms around me, and I glanced over to see who it was. It was Flaky, and she was obviously crying. I pat her back as realization came to me. I must've freaked out and attacked her. Guilt was washing over me like a furious tidal wave. But at least no one got hurt.

That's when I felt the blood.

Flaky let go of me and collapsed off of the bed. She was lying face down on the ground now, and she was still shaking. I saw the knife in her back, and my heart sank. Tears immediatly brimmed at my eyes, and I felt numb. "Flaky!" I shouted, leaping off the bed and kneeling beside her. I yanked the knife out of her back and placed a hand over the bleeding wound. I turned her to face me, and her eyes opened to stare into mine.

She gasped slowly and painfully, looking up at me through watery eyes. "...F-...Flippy..." she moaned.

My chest hurt as I heard her voice. It was strained and littered with suffering. Lord knows what the knife may've stabbed inside of her. Emptiness was filling my soul, and I let the tears flow down my cheeks. No, not her... not her...

She struggled to sit up, obviously trying to get closer to me. I helped her out, lifting my knee and bringing her closer to my face. My tears fell down onto her cheek, staining her fur and glistening as it landed.

"My God..." I sobbed. "...Flaky, I'm... I'm so sorry..."

She smiled up at me, and raised her hand to rest on my cheek. Where her hand sat was the only warm place on my entire body. I started to shake. She lifted her head a little more, until her lips made contact with mine.

It was such a painful kiss. Painful in that I knew without a doubt, it would be our last.

When she pulled away, I noticed that her smile had faded. Her eyes were slowly closing, and her breathing was slowing to a halt. I began shouting at her, yelling stupid and childish things. "It'll be okay, trust me... I'll find you some help..."

She grew still, but I was still softly speaking to her and holding her tightly. "I love you... so just go to sleep for now..." I was shaking, and my voice sounded hysterical. "When you wake up I promise I'll bring you breakfast in bed... I know how much you like that..."

My words were gurgled now, and I was clutching her obviously dead body to me. I wouldn't let go, and I wouldn't stop speaking to her. I lost track of what I was saying, and everything around me was freezing cold. Even her body, which had once held such a relaxing warmth was cold now.

I was empty. I was cold, too. But I was still alive.

... But I wouldn't be alive for much longer. Not as long as that knife still lay beside me.

_Nothing stops the madness_

_Burning, hurting, yearning,_

_Pull the trigger_

_You should've known_

_The price of evil_

_And it hurts to know that you belong here_

_No one to call_

_Everybody to fear_

_Your tragic fate is looking so clear_

Flaky was gone... she was the last thing I had to live for. Nothing seemed to matter anymore. I was living in a town that despised me, and I was killing and hurting innocent people. And the only one who cared for me was gone... and it was my fault.

I reached out and grabbed the knife. Still clutching onto Flaky, I brought it up to my own neck. I closed my eyes, letting one last tear drop to her face, before I let my hand slip.

And then there was nothing.

o O o O o O o O o O o

________

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_It's your f**kin' nightmare

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**Well, that's over with. I can't really tell if my skills have improved or worsened over time.**

**Chapter two will be entitled _Welcome to the Family_, and will contain the dark and strange elements, so stay tuned for that if you care.**

**Boulder out.**


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